Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic said that the project for the construction of gas interconnection with Bulgaria is one of the most important projects for Serbia’s energy security and he expects that a grant worth about 50 million euros will be received soon.

Minister Antic stressed the importance of the project as both the Government and the Ministry of Energy are dedicated to the realization of this project, adding that Serbia will implement the project within the defined time limits. It is expected that the project will enter IPA funding in 2017 and that Serbia will receive the grant in 2018, while the gas link to Bulgaria should be operational by the end of 2020.

In January 2017, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova and her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Antic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the project for the construction of gas interconnection between Bulgaria and Serbia. According to the MoU, the construction of the gas pipeline between the two countries should begin by May 2019, while it should be put into operation by the end of 2020. The project envisages the construction of gas pipeline with the annual capacity of 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas. Serbian section of the interconnection is 180 kilometers long two-way gas pipeline, which should enter the country from Bulgaria near Dimitrovgrad and finish near Nis, where it would branch towards Zajecar.